Acute flaccid myelitis, better known as AFM, made national news in 2018 when hundreds of children were diagnosed with the rare disease across 27 states. The symptoms for this illness are alarmingly similar to those of polio, which is, in part, what made it so scary for the families and kids who were affected. This episode takes an in-depth look at how families dealt with the blow of the diagnosis. So much of today’s news emanates from New York, Washington or Los Angeles, but what we know is that amazing, authentic and genuine stories are being told around the country every day. Each week "Dispatches from the Middle," which originally aired on Facebook Watch, takes a deep dive into one powerful local news story and gets a behind-the-broadcast look at how it came together.For stories like this and more, follow "Dispatches from the Middle" on Facebook Watch or join our community, Conversations from the Middle.

Acute flaccid myelitis, better known as AFM, made national news in 2018 when hundreds of children were diagnosed with the rare disease across 27 states. The symptoms for this illness are alarmingly similar to those of polio, which is, in part, what made it so scary for the families and kids who were affected.

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This episode takes an in-depth look at how families dealt with the blow of the diagnosis.

So much of today’s news emanates from New York, Washington or Los Angeles, but what we know is that amazing, authentic and genuine stories are being told around the country every day. Each week "Dispatches from the Middle," which originally aired on Facebook Watch, takes a deep dive into one powerful local news story and gets a behind-the-broadcast look at how it came together.